News Release

SIU Terminates Brussels Investigation

Witness Assistance

The Acting Director of the Special Investigations Unit, Joseph Martino, has terminated an investigation into the arrest of a man last month in Brussels.

On the morning of October 5, 2018, Ontario Provincial Police officers were dispatched to a residence for a domestic situation. Soon after police arrived, a 38-year-old man was arrested and transported to the Goderich OPP detachment where he was lodged in a cell. The man was later medically assessed and diagnosed with a fractured rib and a fracture to his left hand.

Acting Director Martino said, “The SIU’s preliminary inquiries establish that the man did not, in fact, sustain a rib fracture as initially reported. With respect to the fracture of the man’s left hand, there is no evidence that the injury was caused by the police; rather, the evidence provides very good reason to believe the injury was self-inflicted prior to the arrival of any police officer. Accordingly, I have terminated the investigation into this incident.”

The SIU is an arm’s length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault. Under the Police Services Act, the Director of the SIU must

consider whether an officer has committed a criminal offence in connection with the incident under investigation

depending on the evidence, lay a criminal charge against the officer if appropriate or close the file without any charges being laid